Rule.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

J. BENDER.

RULE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27. 1906.

' INVENTOH J/znflender A TTOHNE )"8 ms NORRIS PETERS ca., wAsnmcwm o. c.

JOHN BENDER, OF MARION, KANSAS.

RULE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11. 1906.

Application filed April 2'7, 1906. Serial No. 313,969.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BENDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Rule, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to rules, and is i11- tended especially to be used by artisans and others for measuring the distance between points where it is not feasible for the ends of the rule to project beyond the points between which the measurement is taken.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rule in a folded condition. Fig. 2- is an edge view showing the rule partly eXtended,.the end members of the rule being represented as broken away. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through one of the joints of the rule and upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a crosssection on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a plan of the end of the rule and illustrating the manner of securing the end members to the body thereof.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the body of the rule consists of two slide-bars 2 and 3, which are arranged face to face, as shown, and adapted to slide one upon the other. At one extremity the slide-bar 2 is provided with a sleeve 4, through which the slide-bar 3 slides freely, as will be readily understood. At the opposite end of the slidebar 3 the same is provided with a sleeve 5, through which the slide-bar 2 slides freely. At the sleeve 5, on the inner face thereof, I provide a shoe 6, which is adapted to come against the side of the bar, as shown, and this shoe is adapted to be clamped firmly against the edge of the bar by means of a thumbscrew 7, which passes through the side of the sleeve, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 4. In order to form a good mounting for the screw, the outer face of the sleeve at this point is preferably reinforced by a block 8, which is formed or affixed at the threaded opening through which the shank of the screw passes, as shown.

The extremities of the slide-bars 2 and 3 which project beyond the sleeves 4 and 5 are provided with joints. The construction of,

one of these joints is very clearly shown in Fig. 3. Each joint comprises an ordinary hinge 10, which is applied to the side thereof remote from the opposite slide-bar, so that the end members 11, which are attached by means of the said hinges, are adapted to fold against the op' osite sides of the body, as indicated most 0 early in Fig. 1. On the sides opposite the hinges 1O catch-plates 12 and 13 are attached to end portions of the members 1 1,Which form the joint, as shown, the catchplate 12 being attached to the body member 2, while the catch-plate 13 is attached to the end member 11, as shown in Fig. 3.. The catch-plate 13 projects beyond the end of the end member, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. The catch-plates 12 13 are resilient and are provided with nibs 14 and 15 respectively, which are adapted to engage with each other, as shown in Fig. 3. As indicated, the nibs are provided on both sides with inclined faces. As the catch-plates are brought toward .each other the forward inclined faces abut against each other, so that the nib 14 on the catchplate 12 is deflected outwardly in such away that it will pass over the nib 15, whereupon the inclined faces on the inner sides of the nibs will engage each other, as indicated in Fig. 3. WVhen in this condition, the joint is locked, so that the end member 11 will extend in alinement with the body member, to which it is attached. Evidently by folding the end member inwardly the joint may be readily broken on account of the inclination of the engaged faces of the nib.

It should be understood that in order to fold the rule the parts are moved into the relation shown in Fig. 1 that is, the slide-bars 2 and 3 are telescopcd as far as possible, and the end members are then folded down against the opposite side of the body. I11 or down, as indicated, the catches 18 may be rotated upon their pivot-screws 21, so that the notch 20 of the catch will engage the notch 17 of the end member. When the catch engages with the end member in this Way, the

end member is evidently locked against the side of the body. This locked position for the catch 18 is very clearly shown in Fig. 5 in dotted lines.

In using the rule it should be understood that the end members 11 are extended until their joints lock, when they are in alinement with the body of the rule. The slide-bars 2 and 3 are then slid in or out upon each other until the outer extremities of the end members strike the points between which the measurement is to be taken. If desired, the thumb-screw 7 may then be rotated, so as to clamp the parts together in order to maintain the parts of the rule in a fixed relation. The slide-bars 2 and 3 and the end members 11 are all graduated, so that measurements may be taken in inches or other units. The beveled form of the extremities of the end members enables the rule to be applied readily to measure the distance between two miter points. The brass binding on the tips 16 prevents their being crushed or otherwise injured.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rule having a pair of members having a hinge connecting the same, and catch-plates attached to said members at a point remote from said hinge, said catch-plates having nibs adapted to engage to lock said members in longitudinal alinement, said nibs having inclined faces adapted to engage as said nibs approach, and inclined faces held in engagement when said members are in longitudinal alinement.

2. In a rule, a pair of members adapted to fold one upon the other, one of said members having a notch in the extremity thereof and a catch pivotally attached to the opposite member and having an upwardly-projecting wing adapted to rotate into engagement with said notch.

3. In a rule, in combination, a pair of members adapted to fold one upon the other, one of said members having a notch in the extremity thereof and a catch pivotally attached to the opposite member and having a wing with a notch in the edge thereof adapted to engage said first member at said first notch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN BENDER.

Witnesses FRED L. FRAZER, D. D. MoINTosH 

